Monday night was one to forget for the Wildcats.
Davidson trailed the entire way as the California claimed victory, 86-60. Jordan Matthews led the way for the Golden Bears with 22 points while freshman Jaylen Brown added 17 of his own. Peyton Aldridge led the Wildcats in scoring with 15.
Unfortunately for Davidson, losing big games has become a common theme this season. While the Wildcats are 8-0 against teams outside of the KenPom top 100, they are 0-3 vs. teams that crack the list. The losses to Pitt, North Carolina and now Cal have come by an average of 28.0 PPG, an astounding margin for a team that many thought would make the NCAA tournament this season. While the possibility of a March berth remains a possibility, the Wildcats will need to seriously impress in conference play in order for this to happen.
Monday night also marked one of the first real down games for Jack Gibbs. The second leading scorer of the nation was held to just 7 points, much in part due to Cal’s defensive scheme. Gibbs only got 10 shots off, significantly down from his 16.8 per game this season. This proves that if other teams can slow him down, they can stifle the Davidson offense with him.
Late in the second half, the Wildcats’ Jordan Barham went down with an apparent leg injury. While the status of said injury has yet to have been updated, Barham did not return and was seen with crutches following the game. This is a big loss for Davidson. Barham is currently the forth leading scorer and second leading rebounder on the team. We will keep you updated as soon as we know more.
Davidson finishes the non-conference season 8-3. They tip off A10 play this Saturday when they take on St. Bonaventure at 8:00 ET.
